Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-11-10
TRuLY INnEPEnpEnr
q Jouroeyman Barber Who Had every
Thing His Own Way.


The chair to go into commissions and
straighten out mo, III be hanged if
can see how it is that BARRIERS have
the reputation Of being such awful
takers 'Tain't fair. They don't talk
no more than other people, believe.
OH the whole, that they don't talk rs
much I'm quiet; I'm no talker; 1
don't rattle away about nothing Sit
a little higher, please" The victim
was at his mercy.
speaking of journeymen BARRIERS"
continued the artist. Il once knew one
named Jim Mack who beat any thing
you ever heard of. He worked for me
when had a shop out at Denver.
Great hand to read. Astonishing
reader. Probably one of the most lit
erary men in the profession. He'd lay
piece of newspaper on a customers
shoulder. go to reading something on
it, and stand still ten minutes. If the
article wasn't all there he'd 90 of
hunting it up. Perhaps wouldn't get
back for two hours. Customer gets
tired and goes off-may be kicks the
chair to pieces and smashes a mirror
before he leaves depended on his tenn
per. Never ruffied Jim particle.
Jim used to go to supper at six
o'clock. Would be shaving around
mans chin when the six o'clock
whistle blew, drop the razor and start
for his coat; razor cuts mans throat;
good customer gone, perhaps. Took
off the mayor of the city that way.
Man who got shaved every day and
haircut once month. too. Man also
took baths. Too good customer to
lose, but couldn't help it. After that
had all Jim's razors hung over the
chair by an elastic from the ceiling. so
when he let go of them ut the first foot
of the whistle they would fly up. and
he wouldn't come back to finish his
man after half IN hour and find the
coroner and six jurymen in the shop
and business all demOraliZed.
Remarkably Independent man Jim
was, too. Customers couldn't boss
him. He got lots of hair-cuts that way.
arna around him and hold him and cut
it anyhow. One day the Methodist
minister got in his chair, and said jim:
Hair cut. STRIP No, thank you,' said
the minister. Better have it trimmed
a little, said Jim. Not to-day re-
piled the minister. 1t needs cutting
went on Jim; it's long an bushy, AN
shaggy, an has hay-seed in it, an
looks like thunder L prefer it that
way said the minister, pretty sharp.
%, you do. do youP' yelled Jim Wen
see if you keep it that way! Come out
of this and he dragged him out of the
chair and began swinging him around
close to the floor and knocking the
chairs in all directions. Take that,
an that he whooped, and lie wound
him around the stove half a dozen
times. Don't want your hair cut,
heyp Too stingy to get it moved, are
yOuP Want to beat Il poor, quiet bar
Der out of half dollar, do your Coin
to cut your own hair after this, mebby ?
And all this time he kept hitting at him
with chair leg. Now Wen see about
it, And he got the minister down on
the floor on his face and reached for a
pair of clippers, and in five minutes the
preachers head looked as if it had been
sandpapered, and Jim had picked his
pocket of half dollar and showed him
out of the door, and thrown his hat and
overcoat after him. Jim was a great
man for shop in getting hair-euts-
Before spring there wasn't enough hair
on all our customers heads to wad a
gun.
HE was just like that about every
thing. Every body had to take bay
rum, hair oil, powder, and the whole
list. One time big rich capitalist
from st. Louis who had come out to
buy gold mines objected. Don't want
oil, hey?' howled Jim. Think our oil
amt good, mebby?' And he got the
man by the throat and began shooting
the oil all over him. Got an idea you
can come in here and run the shop, /
reckon. Think cause You got plug
hat an double chin that you can do
as you please?' And all the time squirt,
squirt went the hair oil all over the st.
Louis man. There, roared Jim. as
the last of the oil went in the mans
eve and he broke the bottle over his
head, there, take that an get out of
here, an if you stay in Denver over
two hours longer IN shoot you on
sightr
Powerful inventive, too, Jim was
made wise something like they use on
a carpenters bench and attached it to
the chair to put the mans head in.
Then he would screw it up tight to hold
'em still. He said he couldn't bear to
have a mans head rolling around while
he was shaving him. He believed in
side-whiskers exclusively. too. Made
all our customers wear 'em. It didn't
leave much to shave, and that suited
him. In fact. Jim was a genius.
could tell you a heap more about him
if l had time-wish had him here to
take the second chair. But 1 can't,
:. I